Walking down the aisle together to World Stops Turning by Alexisonfire (their favourite band), Alex and Byron became Mr and Mrs in the beautiful coastal town of Yamba. “We made the decision to walk together and it was perfect,” the couple tell us. “We feel better together, so it just made sense. Also having the chance to walk into our marriage together hand in hand as equals could not be passed up.” LOVE!
With the help of Daniel Chafer to capture the mems, the loved-up newlyweds threw an impressive party where the outdoor setting became the star of the show “we didn’t have a seating chat or a formal run sheet, we just let the day be and our guests enjoy themselves.” Scroll down for the full story and all the epic photos…
THE VENUE “We wanted somewhere people could get away for a weekend and relax. Most of our family and friends are in Brisbane or the Sunshine Coast so we didn’t want to head too far south. Both of us really enjoy northern New South Wales, and Yamba seemed like a perfect chill coastal town option (plus surf!). We found River Shack via Google maps by randomly putting in wedding venue and looking via location. It was the only place we looked at, we loved that we could hire it for a week, guests could camp on site if they wanted to. Chill vibes all round and most importantly private.”
THE VIBE “We didn’t really have a theme, we just wanted to have a casual wedding, that was aesthetically us. Casual in that there was no strict timelines but us in that we focused on the details that we cared about – like our outfits, the food, good drinks, and the music.
WE’RE GLAD WE… “Organised an event planner to help us in the lead-up to and on the day. Sarah from Ivy Lane & Co is a Yamba local and we knew we were in safe hands.”
DIY “Music – we had three paylists for the day (ceremony, reception and dance floor). They took us forever to pull together, and we gave guests the opportunity to contribute options during their RSVPs. Music holds a really special place in our relationship, so we decided it was better to go on our own and play what we wanted! We’ve had guests tell us the dancefloor was a highlight for them. Some even told us they woke up with sore muscles and someone literally danced through their shoes.”
THE DRESS “I didn’t have the ‘dream dress ah ha’ moment. I was searching for something timeless, elegant, slightly unique and also fashionable. Not a hard ask, I know. I also really wanted to make sure I was spending my money on a dress that was not made from polyester so this added some complexities to the search. I found L’eto Bridal and their brand ethos spoke to me. Their designs are incredible, and I could have easily picked and worn any of their creations. They are Sydney-based but thankfully The Series Bridal in Byron Bay stocked them. Ali from the Series Bridal was a dream to work with made me feel at ease immediately and we bonded so quickly over our similar tastes. Honestly, I loved everything about my dress, it felt so me, and I am glad I stayed true to my self and didn’t get carried away with all the bridal possibilities.”
MEMORABLE MOMENTS “The day before the wedding we decided against having formal speeches and instead decided to do speech roulette. We put guests’ names in a separate hat (saucepan actually) and if you happened to be picked out you received the choice of doing a speech or a Fireball shot. Oddly, both our dads were picked out first (unplanned) so we went again. My dad still doesn’t believe me it wasn’t a set-up.”
STANDOUT VENDORS “Too many nice things to say about our photographer Dan [Daniel Chafer]. We nearly didn’t want anything posed or cheesy, he hit the mark in all his shots, I feel like we walked away with so many shots I can actually see us framing. He got on so well with the guests, and mingled like he was meant to be there. And our celebrant Annie [Celebrant Lady Love] was fab – she walked into where we were getting ready just before ceremony time, took one look at Byron in his suit and announced she was getting changed. She stepped back out in the most perfect for-us leopard print number. She made the ceremony a breeze, we all laughed through it.”‘
A WORD OF ADVICE “Choose vendors you feel like you would be friends with if you had the chance. Picking vendors that match your vibe, your morals and get along with all your guests makes the day seem extra special. We had people ask us if Dan (photographer) and Annie (celebrant) were our close friends.”
Looking for your own dream team on the NSW North Coast? Our directory is full of vendors keen to help you out.
CONTRIBUTING VENDORS Photographer Daniel Chafer Event Planner & Stylist Ivy Lane and Co Florist Braer Studio Stationery DIY Ceremony Venue Pilot Hill, Yamba Reception Venue River Shack Drinks Cart Silver Belle Events Food Truck il Carretto Pizza Cake Pippa’s Pantry Hire Items Rosie Posie Event Hire, We Hire Northern Rivers Marquee We Hire Northern Rivers Sound Hire Inspired Audio Visual Celebrant Celebrant Lady Love (Annie Molenaar) Rings Molten Store, Angus and Coote, Kirstin Ash Transport Ward Buses Toilets Yamba Ready Hire THE BRIDE Bridal gown designer L’eto Bridal Bridal Boutique The Series Bridal Veil Jasmine Veils via Etsy Shoes Habbot Shoes Accessories Simple Rituals, Lele Sadoughi Hair & Makeup Candiece September Reception Outfit St Agni Bow Harriette Gordon THE GROOM Suit Hugo Boss Shirt Wacko Maria Shoes Doc Martens Watch Nixon Sunglasses Akila